


Chocolate Frogs

by I_was_BOTWP



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Chocolate Frog Cards, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Sarcasm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 03:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 11,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11797056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_was_BOTWP/pseuds/I_was_BOTWP
Summary: A series of vignettes depicting the reactions various characters have to seeing themselves or others on Chocolate Frog trading cards. Spanning different time frames from before the first war, to far past the second war.





	1. Hermione

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
> 
> A/N: I have a fabulous beta reader, cheerleader, and friend in 89JadedPictures. She read every single one of these multiple times before I posted them. Thank you Jade for encouraging me to start writing and then pushing me to actually share my stories!

The day they took Hermione's picture for her Chocolate Frog card started out perfectly fine. She had chosen her outfit carefully, far ahead of the actual day, and laid it out the night before. Hermione’s hair flowed down her back in loose curls. She wore a light, tasteful amount of makeup.   
  
Beginning the day an owl arrived with the news that she was to be featured on a card, Hermione began to fret about showing the scar on her arm. She went over the pros and cons in her head.  She made a decision that it would be better to write out the list. She stared at the list during every free minute for two full days. Hermione  _ Geminio'ed _ the list and distributed it to Harry, Luna, Neville, and pretty much every Weasley, asking for their thoughts. The consensus came back to leave it uncovered; if it ended up being visible in the picture (it might not after all), then que sera sera.   
  
Hermione stared at the finished product which arrived in the morning post with a mixture of horror and pride. The makers had promised her a complimentary box full of first run cards to have on hand for autographs and what-not. Though, she couldn't very well send one of these to her grandmother, now could she?   
  
When Hermione had shown up at the studio, she overheard the photographer and her assistant talking about her before they realized Hermione was standing there.   
  
“Can't believe that they plan on putting yet another Muggleborn on a Chocolate Frog card!” moaned the first.   
  
“Sure, she helped Harry Potter, but he's the Chosen One, not her,” agreed the other.   
  
“She's got a track record for insinuating herself with famous or powerful wizards. Remember Victor Krum? You know she was only 15 then.” This was said in a scandalized tone.   
  
“Ever wonder how she climbed so quickly to such a high level position at The Ministry?” was the final snippet she heard before she stood in front of the two.   
  
Hermione sighed, the couple of sentences about her on the card were rather perfect. Not only did they mention her Merlin First Class and War Heroine status, including the battles she fought in and her part in the destruction of Horcruxes, but there were also accolades for her work with magical creature rights.   
  
However, the picture on repeat of her brandishing her Mudblood scar directly at the camera, while mouthing the words "Fuck You" surely would raise a few eyebrows.


	2. Filius

The stack of books he perched upon was evident in the picture on the card. Filius Flitwick sighed. Yes, he chose to stand on those every day in his Charms classes. And yes, he chose to stand on a raised platform when conducting the Frog Choir. However, he did not spend his entire life atop items to make himself taller.

Filius realized some students incorrectly assumed his lineage contained elf ancestry rather than goblin. However, for anyone who cared to ask, he was more than forthcoming that his stature was due to a goblin ancestor now five generations removed. He really wished the photographer had possessed a modicum of common sense and used a charm to take a photograph at his height, upon the floor.

That being said, Filius did rather like the dueling stance in which he stood, starting with the correct wand presentation and bow to an imaginary opponent, the point of his wand then whipping towards the viewer. Among the noted life accomplishments, the card listed his Master Duelist status, including the years he held the title Dueling Champion, from 1922 to 1939. Filius admitted to being prideful of his dueling capabilities.

He once dueled Albus Dumbledore in their time together at Hogwarts and disarmed him. They were fifth years, practicing for their OWLs. Upon occasion, he wondered what could have been if he had ever dueled Albus as an adult. Filius did not think of himself as someone who craved power, but he understood the temptation of being the owner of the Elderwand.

As Filius watched his picture prepare to duel again, he remembered an afternoon tea shared with Minerva in the Headmistress' office two months after the final battle at Hogwarts. He sat staring at the picture of a sleeping Severus Snape hanging on the wall behind her, while admitting to her that there occurred but one duel in his life where he wished he not come out the victor. After all, Filius had been the one, not Minerva, to cast the final spell that sent Severus fleeing from the castle.

Minerva's hand reaching across the desk to cover his in a comforting gesture had pulled his eyes away from the painting and to her instead, as she pronounced, "He knows and he forgives us. I have forgiven myself, and you must do the same."


	3. Molly

Molly Weasley found the situation horribly embarrassing. She considered herself a simple witch; there wasn't anything special about her.

She behaved as any other self-respecting mother would.  A mother lion protects her cubs.

She felt she had failed Fred.

She did not fail Ginny.

Molly couldn't help the surprise at discovering they wanted to give her a Chocolate Frog card for that, but who was she to argue?

In addition to casting the curse to end Bellatrix LeStrange, the makers needed something else to fill in her biography. A questionnaire arrived asking about her hobbies, her likes and dislikes, and if she wanted to share anything else that the public may find interesting.

She noted her love of baking and knitting. She wanted to honor her twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon, whom she felt were more deserving of a card than her, having taken down five Death Eaters in an ambush before their early demise during the first war.

They put all of it on her card, even embellishing a bit, letting people believe she invented several household charms. That simply was not true! Everything she used had been passed down to her from her mother and her mother's mother before her.

She tried to teach many of them to Fleur, in an attempt to make sure they were passed to Bill's children. The French witch made it perfectly clear the spells she learned from her own mother were just fine. Ginny had learned many of them as a child, but she and Harry owned a house elf. Molly worried what would become of Lily. Hermione seemed interested in learning them for a time. The poor dear didn't have a mother to teach them to her, after all, and Molly found happiness filling that role. Belatedly, Molly realized Hermione's interest was much more academic in nature.

When the box arrived at The Burrow with her complimentary first run of cards inside, Molly invited the entire extended family over for dinner and a little package opening ceremony.

The teasing commenced immediately.

“I must have inherited my 'penchant for inventing' from you, mum,” George said as he read the card.

Bill walked to the living room, grabbed an old family photo album, and opened it up to a picture of Molly pregnant with him, knitting needles visibly making baby booties in the background.

“You must have been a child prodigy to have devised such a complex spell at the age of 19,” he noted with a wink.

Ron whinged, “You forced me to spend part of my childhood using a second-hand, spellotaped wand when you were secretly a Charms Master.”

Charlie smirked at Ron, “They were hoping to build character in you, but look how that worked out.”

Ron’s ears turned red. “Say something about my character again. Go ahead, I dare you. This wand is excellent at making people eat slugs.”

As the conversation devolved around her, Molly tuned out the argument starting at her kitchen table, glaring at the card, wishing she had said no when she was asked to be on it.


	4. Bertie

Everyone always started their conversations with the same two questions for Bertie Bott. Why and how?

The answer to  _ why _ came easily.

“Because I can.”

The  _ how _ proved a little more complex.

It was an interesting combination of two potions, a charm, and finally, a healthy dose of Muggle ingenuity. He started out working in his basement with the two potions and the charm, mixing up tasty flavors. When a pair of dirty socks accidentally got mixed in, history came to pass.

Invariably, the ensuing question regarded what potions and charm he used.

“Trade secret,” he answered with a smirk.   
  
And what Muggle ingenuity was he referring to? Why, the automated assembly line of course! The only way to produce as many beans as he did in as many flavors as he did came about by creating a factory based upon Muggle technology.

That caused certain witches and wizards to be aghast. Yet, being truthful exhibited no noticeable fall in sales. Those pureblood children possessed too much money burning holes in their pockets to pass up spending it at Honeyduke's on their Hogsmeade weekends.

Bertie also knew to never underestimate the dare factor that went into eating his confections.   
  
Bertie looked at his picture on the card with a grin. He stood holding a sack full of his famous jelly beans in one hand, and a single bean up in the air between his thumb and forefinger in the other. A green colored bean. Bertie watched himself pop the candy into his mouth and then smile straight into the camera while chewing it. He endured ongoing speculation as to the exact flavor.

Bertie's coy answer remained, “It’s my favorite flavor, of course.”   
  
Bertie hadn't done anything which saved people's lives. He hadn't written a book to educate future generations of witches and wizards. He was rubbish at Quidditch.

He couldn't help but enjoy the irony that his famous candy invention caused enough fame for him to be featured upon the trading card within a competitor’s candy.


	5. Remus and Nymphadora

Teddy Lupin stared at the two cards for what felt like the millionth time.   
  
One card featured his mum, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, staring back at him as her hair changed from blue, to purple, to pink. She winked at the camera at the end before the image started up again from the beginning.

For years, he didn't know where the picture came from, it wasn't in any of the albums his grandmother owned. Finally, Harry announced he stumbled upon his mum's old Auror file and found it to be an official photo taken for the Ministry. How the Chocolate Frog manufacturer had ever gotten ahold of it became anyone's guess.   
  
The other card contained his dad, Remus Lupin. The picture came from the year he was the DADA professor at Hogwarts. That one remained in the public domain, so anyone could access it or use it. Professor Longbottom told him those pictures were taken near the end of the school term each year.

His dad looked good - relaxed and happy. The photograph had been snapped maybe only a week or two before Remus was outed by Severus Snape as a werewolf and forced to resign his position.   
  
When Teddy was little, he would practice his metamorphic skills, trying to get his face and hair to look exactly like each parent in turn, desperate to feel closer to them. As he grew older, that game fell by the wayside.   
  
Teddy now often found himself ranting at these pictures of his parents. He would yell at them for the shite decision to leave their newborn behind to go into battle. He would berate them for not being smarter while fighting. He would inform his mum that at least his dad had the excuse of being a foolhardy Gryffindor, what was a bloody Hufflepuff doing acting like that? He would tell them he hated them.   
  
Neither one of them made an important enough kill that it turned the tide of the battle. Neither one of them helped take care of destroying a Horcrux. They hadn't really been needed at Hogwarts that day; they had been needed at home. Needed by him.   
  
Teddy Lupin would give anything to not have the "honor" of having his parents awarded with Chocolate Frog trading cards. Cards which were nightly slipped under his pillow as he whispered goodnight to his parents.


	6. Neville

They had asked Neville Longbottom if he could bring the Sword of Gryffindor with him to use as a prop in his picture. No, he couldn't bring the bloody sword with him, for Godric's sake! Somehow, he didn't think trying to get it to appear, in order for it to be on a Chocolate Frog trading card picture, would count as a "worthy" need. And who the hell calls one of the most important magical relics of all time a prop?

_ Wankers _ .   
  
Hannah had mused, “You should wear your best dress robes,” as he stared into his closet the weekend before the photo shoot.

His grandmum insisted, “You look so warm and approachable in one of your sweaters,” when he told her.

Neville opted for something in between the two, purchasing himself a new black three-piece suit which he paired with a red tie. His tie-tack was a golden lion. He wore his dad's ruby cufflinks.   
  
The photographer had caught him unbuttoning his suit-coat, then placing a hand in his pocket. He looked up into the camera and gave his usual half-smile, half-smirk. The one that Hannah said made her weak in the knees. Something about the picture niggled at his brain. He felt like it was a damn remembrall; the photo was making him feel funny, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.   
  
He read the blurb written to commemorate his deeds. The list of the battles he had fought in, starting with the Department of Mysteries. His role as leader of the Resistance inside Hogwarts that final year. Destroyer of a Horcrux. Celebrated Auror along with Harry and Ron. Hogwarts Professor of Herbology.   
  
Neville wondered what his parents would think of it all, if only things could have been different. Would they be proud of him? Was he as brave as them? Should he bring cards for each of them to have in their room? His mum tended to like hard candies - how would she respond to being offered chocolate? Would Alice recognize him in the photograph? Would his dad notice the cufflinks Neville had chosen to put on in honor of Frank?   
  
He stared at his picture wondering all of these things, when it hit him. In his picture, he was the Gryffindor version of Draco Sodding Malfoy.


	7. Minerva

Minerva McGonagall counted many achievements in life which gave her a sense of satisfaction.   
  
She become an Animagus at the age of 22. She knew that there were a handful of witches or wizards who managed it at a younger age, but only six other people registered in the past century.

Minerva's Patronus took the form of a corporeal cat. She developed enough control of the spell to be able to cast it, transform into a tabby cat herself, and then play with the glowing feline. She hadn't done that in years, but the joy-filled memories of frolicking with the ethereal creature were now an integral part of her casting of the charm itself.   
  
Minerva held the title of Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts for three generations of students. When she took over the post from Albus Dumbledore, at his request upon his elevation to Headmaster, she experienced qualms over whether she would live up to her predecessor's reputation. She'd like to think that in the end she left behind her own indelible mark.   
  
For the 40 years that she and Albus worked together she had been the Yin to his Yang.   
  
As the Head of Gryffindor House, she was often thrust into the role of mother, more times than she cared to count. She didn't know if she was necessarily always successful at showing her charges how much she really cared. Her dry humor often got lost on a fourteen-year-old crying when the ‘love of her life’ took someone else to Hogsmeade. She could now admit, with hindsight, that her fanaticism while in quest for the Quidditch House Cup may have clouded her judgement upon occasion. And yet, she beamed with pride at the number of times (seventeen) the cup had been awarded to Gryffindor under her.   
  
As Headmistress of Hogwarts for 15 years, she oversaw unprecedented changes in the curriculum, and felt she brought about true inter-house unity.   
  
The trading card Minerva held lauded her quiet rebellion waged against Amycus and Alecto Carrow as having undoubtedly saved the lives of countless children.   
  
In her defiance of Tom Riddle through two wars, she knew that it wasn't only the lives of children she ended up saving. She dueled Voldemort himself during the final battle, surviving to tell the tale.

But even before that encounter, she partook in another moment from The Battle of Hogwarts that her Chocolate Frog card memorialized – and it was perfect.   
  
"The only known Hogwarts Head in history to activate the charm created by the founders themselves, causing the animation of Hogwarts' suits of armor, and for the castle to defend its inhabitants against attack."


	8. Donaghan

Bloody hell, he must be tripping harder than he thought. Donaghan Tremlett felt sure he was staring at a Chocolate Frog card featuring himself.

He held it up to his bandmates, asking, “What the fuck is going on?”

“Am I seriously hallucinating, or did I somehow get on this card? Or maybe I exist in the card? If I exist in the card, how could I get back out of the card?”

“Do I really have that much hair? For the love of Merlin, someone should have told me to manscape that shite!”   
  
Heathcote and Myron were rolling on the floor laughing, Myron so hard he snorted. Orsino mumbled about cutting Donaghan off. The arsehole meant just for tonight, right, or could it be for good? Either way, Donaghan figured he had better take a big swig from the bottle in front of him, in case it happened to be his last chance.

Herman just rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like, "Fucking figures.”   
  
The card declared him the bass player for The Weird Sisters. Ok, that part was true. The band's biggest hits were listed as "Do The Hippogriff", "Magic Works", and "This is the Night".

“Ha! Heathcote, you git, you  _ wish _ the tripe you wrote, where 'Hippogriff' passes as a thinly veiled innuendo for shagging, reached hit status!” Donaghan cackled.

It also noted Donaghan's favorite Quidditch team to be the Kenmare Kestrels.

“Those wankers? No way! I support the Wigtown Wanderers. Everyone knows that! Or maybe, now no one knows it because of this bloody card?”   
  
None of his mates seemed to want to answer his questions. Donaghan waved the card angrily in their faces demanding answers! He started in on accusations.

“Impersonation!”

“Libel!”

“I'll break up the band if you don’t start talking!”   
  
The next morning, Donaghan woke up on the sofa, with small, shredded pieces of his Chocolate Frog card scattered around him. He covered his eyes with his arm and moaned. Not again. Everyone knew better than to let him get ahold of his trading card in the state he had been last night. He heard a snigger to his left. Opening one eye, he caught Myron staring at him from a chair.   
  
"You kept on yelling at "card Donaghan" that he needed to stop spreading malicious rumors about you liking the Kestrals. When he wouldn't retract his statement, you sought retribution by tearing him up," Myron smirked.


	9. Sirius

Andromeda Tonks, née Black, stared at the picture of her cousin, Sirius Black. Andromeda's father, Cygnus Black, had once lodged a complaint with the Chocolate Frog makers when his own great-grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, was denied a card. She could vividly imagine the types of hexes he'd toss around if he still lived today and saw his nephew on a card.   
  
Even with a five year difference in age, Andromeda and Sirius were close as children. Neither one fit in well at the large holiday family gatherings where the young witches and wizards were expected to take turns performing for the adults - reciting the Black family lineage, cursing the names of known blood-traitors, and practicing hexes. Andromeda exhibited better abilities in going through the motions than Sirius; she begged him to just do the same.   
  
Yet, when he got sorted into Gryffindor, even she was shocked. For the two years their schooling overlapped, she once again went through the motions, pretending to be a good Slytherin, denouncing her cousin.

In secret she would pull him aside to check on him. She warned Sirius about plots against him when she could. She always made sure to hug him before he escaped back away with his little pack of friends. Pack. If only she had known then what she knew now, she thought wryly.   
  
When the family disowned Andromeda for marrying Ted, she received entry into a club of sorts. Blacks who found themselves blasted off the family tree stuck together. Uncle Alphard helped her and Ted buy their house. Great Aunt Dorea was there for her during and immediately after her pregnancy with Dora. When Sirius was in turn disowned at age 16, Andromeda prepared to open up her home to him. Instead, he chose the Potters.   
  
At his graduation from the Auror Academy, Andromeda remembered beaming with pride. She took Dora with her to the ceremony to see him receive his badge. Sirius had looked so handsome in his red robes; Dora had stared in awe.

Sirius lifted her up on his shoulders after the ceremony, and paraded her around, introducing her to everyone. Andromeda felt sure the impression made that day by little Dora's older cousin influenced her decision to eventually follow the same career path.   
  
Andromeda wished with all of her heart she could say she never doubted Sirius' innocence; that she had fought for him when he was accused of betraying the Potters. Even now, she carried so much guilt, that reading the words "wrongfully incarcerated in Azkaban" on the card pained her.   
  
Andromeda looked at the picture of Sirius with his motorcycle. The same motorcycle Sirius' godson and her grandson were currently outside working together to restore. She walked out to Harry's shed and taped the card up to the wall so Sirius could watch.


	10. Ronald

At the age of 11, Ron Weasley stared into the Mirror of Erised. Ron had been burning to prove himself, to show that he could be as good as, or better than, his older brothers. Ron never did make Head Boy or Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Gryffindor won the House Cup many times during his school years, as well as the Quidditch Cup.

He supposed his 11-year-old self would be happy to know that Ron turned out to be instrumental in the House Cup win later that very same year, with the last minute points awarded to him.   
  
His childish innermost desires did not include being on a Chocolate Frog trading card. Would innocent little Ronniekins believe the tales behind why he was on the card? Ron stared at the long list of his deeds, and it wasn't even everything he had accomplished, whether it be on his own, or as a part of the Golden Trio.

He snorted at the moniker "Golden Trio" to describe them on the card. He really hated that name.   
  
Ron wouldn't deny being proud of the title War Hero. He carried that pride into being the finest Auror he could be. Ron joined the Auror training program with Neville and Harry, going on to fight by their sides, rounding up rogue Death Eaters in the months following Voldemort's defeat.

He spent years assisting Kingsley in the Minister's mission to rid the Wizengamot and Ministry of the lingering corruption which had eaten away at it for generations.   
  
Hermione had helped him pick out the jumper he wore in the picture. It was sky blue and she said that it made his eyes pop. Ron rather liked how he looked. He wasn't without his scars, but the adult he saw in the Chocolate Frog picture was so much better than the adult that little kid imagined all those years ago as he stared in the mirror.

Plus, none of his brothers were featured on a Chocolate Frog trading card, were they?   
  
Ron took one of the new Ronald Weasley cards out of the box, moving it to the small chest that housed his now complete collection of all the trading cards.


	11. George

George Weasley never would describe himself as an indecisive man. You can't be a Quidditch beater while harboring hesitancies. There had been no question when the time came to join The Order of the Phoenix what his choice would be. Entrepreneurs were seldom allowed the luxury of second guessing themselves. When George began to rebuild his life A.F., he found himself nearly paralyzed with anxiety, but, never truly unknowing of the path he was going to take.   
  
A.F. was the abbreviation George devised for "After Fred", of course.

But don't get Hermione started on that abbreviation.

“Obviously A.D. does not stand for ‘After Death’, because then what about the 33 years that Jesus Christ was alive? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to use A.G. for Anno Georgius, translated to ‘In the Year of George’?” the fiery witch liked to huff, often with her hands on her hips and an accompanying eye roll, whenever it came up.

George always replied, “As Your Holeyness, I decree the use of A.F.”   
  
It was now A.F. 37 and George was a grandfather. Before Freddie and Roxanne were old enough to enjoy Hogsmeade weekends as Hogwarts students, George bought Zonkos and opened his second location. By the time they were Hogwarts graduates, George had expanded to Paris, Kampala, Brasília, Tokyo, and New York City. He now owned two dozen locations worldwide; the newest store launched in Sydney two years ago.

George's daughter-in-law and son-in-law both found it mildly vexing that he felt his grandkids to be acceptable test subjects for the new products he continued to invent.   
  
George decided that although he was fated to walk this world without his other half, he refused to be on the trading card without him. The card would remain on this side of veil long after George finally joined Fred on the other side. The picture featured George sporting a very worn hand-knit sweater with an "F" on the front. The paragraph commemorating George's illustrious life included "George Weasley is best known for partnering with his twin brother, Fred Weasley, in the inception of Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes." Without a doubt, George loved his card.   
  
George looked up as Ron came through the floo sputtering madly while tracking soot all over the floor, "Had to go and get yourself awarded a Chocolate Frog trading card too, didn't you?! Couldn't bloody well let me have just one thing to myself, you git!"

George smirked as he decided getting one over on Ron, even when it was more than 30 years in the making, still felt great.


	12. Gwenog

If anyone asked Gwenog Jones when she really felt that she had "made it", the answer would be when she was approached to be on a Chocolate Frog card. Gwenog's first appearance on a card happened after her promotion to captain of The Holyhead Harpies. She chose to pose in full game day gear on her home team's pitch. Over her shoulder sat her beater's bat, while she held a bludger tucked under the opposite arm. She remembered having to re-charm the bludger repeatedly to stay frozen. The charm quickly wore off the mean little buggers.

15 years after that first run of cards appeared at her home, the Welsh National Team named her as their manager. A letter arrived with the news that her card would be updated and she was asked to schedule a time to take a new picture. She kept on putting it off, informing them that between practices, matches, travelling, and all of the other hubris attendant to her new role, she stayed rather busy. She demurred long enough they decided to use her old picture.

In 2014, nearly 25 years from her card debut, Gwenog caused quite the stir at the World Cup Quarter Finals. Gwenog confessed to mild surprise when told her card would include her escapades from the Wales versus Brazil game.

The "It Should Have Been Haiti" t-shirt she wore to the game, now autographed by the entire Haiti National Team, hung in a frame on her wall. Her only regret about that night wasn’t her stint in a foreign jail. She really wished that after hexing the Brazilian Seeker, Tony Silva, she had also managed to curse their team manager, José Barboza, before the authorities carted her off the field.

Once again, the Chocolate Frogs manufacturer attempted to schedule a photo shoot to go along with the card update. Gwenog realized it could be an extremely vain move on her part, but she didn't plan to allow them to take a new picture now. She wasn't in quite the same shape as the she was for the first picture.

Merlin, she really missed the way her tits looked back in her 20s.

Yes, Gwenog Jones knew she had made it the day she first appeared on a Chocolate Frog card, and she would be damned if anyone would change that feeling for her by changing the picture on her card.


	13. Kingsley

Othello. He wished his Chocolate Frog card listed him as famous for playing Othello in the Royal Shakespearean Theatre. That remained Kingsley Shacklebolt's little secret.   
  
Kingsley perfected his acting skills while still in school. His family was not the Slytherin kind of Sacred 28 pureblood maniacs; his family tree contained a great-uncle who married a half-blood and he wasn't disowned. But overall, anything to do with Muggles and Muggleborns remained frowned upon.

Ravenclaw was a perfectly acceptable house to be sorted into, and his parents were proud when the hat chose it for him. The private library hidden within Ravenclaw tower included Muggle literature.   
  
First, he discovered  _ Hamlet _ . Next,  _ Macbeth _ . Third,  _ Much Ado About Nothing _ . By the end of his first year, Kingsley managed to devour all of William Shakespeare's plays.

There were nuances a 12-year-old had no hope of understanding, but Kingsley went back, reading them again and again each year until he considered himself an expert.

He found other Ravenclaws who shared his love of the playwright, and for four years they'd staged productions in the common room. No one had brought that up in almost 30 years, so he wondered if no one now remembered it besides him.   
  
In addition to Shakespeare, Kingsley also read as much about Muggles as he could, while secretly hidden away behind the curtains of his dorm room bed at night, with the tip of his wand lit up. If a Muggle writer could be the penultimate author, Kingsley hungered to know what else non-magical people could offer.   
  
Kingsley's knowledge of Muggles, coupled with his acting abilities, ended up playing a large part in saving the Wizarding World. And for that, he was given a Chocolate Frog trading card.   
  
The card told of his time as undercover protection for the Muggle Prime Minister - Muggle knowledge (at the time he was apparently the only pureblood within the entire bloody Ministry capable of wearing a three-piece suit) and the ability to play a part.

It detailed his spy work for the Order of the Phoenix within the Ministry - performance skills again.

His recurring role as Royal on Potterwatch - oratory skills necessary when on stage.

And now Kingsley had been elected the Minister of Magic. A role that could only be properly filled by a wizard or witch able to calmly proceed as if they knew what they were doing, even when they didn't.   
  
Kingsley set the card down with a sigh. There still continued to be so much work left for Kingsley and Harry to do, leading the wizarding world into better times. Othello would have to wait.

Luckily for Kingsley, all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.


	14. Draco

“Redemption,” Lucius spat at him with a sneer.

“Redemption?” Narcissa arched one perfect eyebrow, matching her confused query.

“Redemption,” he and Astoria whispered it hopefully to each other in the privacy of their bed.   
  
Draco Malfoy lived under no illusions; being awarded a Chocolate Frog trading card because of ‘Outstanding contributions to society through his Alchemical studies’ in no way negated the horrors he perpetrated in his youth.

Yet, if he could be known for something beyond the faded tattoo on his arm which still stirred shame in his gut, then he thanked the gods it included the words ‘contributions to society’.   
  
Draco harbored no fantasies of incoming letters containing accolades from previously estranged friends or former childhood nemeses.

Theo counted as his one remaining childhood friend. Well, Daphne still spoke with him too. It was difficult to count her, as she had the dual drawbacks of not being a bloke who would go out for a drink with him, and as family, she felt obligated to socialize with him.   
  
The only person from the other side that acknowledged his academic pursuits happened to be Granger, of course. Every time he was published, beginning with his very first article, Draco received a congratulatory letter from her. He saved each of those missives, tucked away in a locked box, in turn locked in a desk drawer in his private study.   
  
The rosewood box they were carefully preserved in currently sat open before him. He had sealed the room with powerful charms and poured a considerable glass of firewhisky before he pulled the stack of parchment out.

Below them, in the bottom of the box, sat  _ her _ Chocolate Frog card. Taking a long pull on his drink, he watched her brandish the scar he had been forced to witness his deranged aunt carve over 20 years ago.   
  
“Redemption,” he determinedly told Granger’s picture, daring to believe it as he laid one of his cards next to hers. He replaced the letters, and locked everything back away before downing the last of the alcohol.

He walked downstairs to discover Astoria and Scorpius waiting to toast him with glasses of champagne.


	15. Sybill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's for you Jade:-)

After all is said and done, more is said than done.

Prophecy is tricky like that. Sybill Trelawney did not expect to get featured on a Chocolate Frog trading card. She snorted at the idea that someone would have the audacity to believe that such a thing could be foreseen. Well, Luna Lovegood claimed that she knew that the both of them would get cards, as the manufacturers needed to spice things up and make it more interesting; they were losing ground to competitors' sweets. Sybill considered if she should be flattered by the assumption.

In addition to being noted for predicting Harry Potter's defeat of Voldemort, the escape of Peter Pettigrew, and the return of Voldemort in the spring of 1995, Sybill also received praise for her defensive skills during the Battle of Hogwarts.

She considered it unfair that the card did not also mention her prediction that Dolores Umbridge's future held grave danger merely months before the woman was seized by a herd of centaurs.

As for her supposed heroics during battle; she admitted to enjoying a good game of tennis upon occasion. Her muggle mother held a fondness for the sport. Serving up the crystal balls from her classroom like tennis balls, with her wand as her racket had felt satisfying. Watching as Death Eaters far below her tower were smacked in the head with the glass orbs made her feel powerful for the first time in a long time. Maybe even for the first time in her life.

Sybill spent the first two and a half decades of her life feeling like she deserved respect. She was a Ravenclaw; everyone knew they were the best students. After graduation, with the last name Trelawney, jobs should have opened up due to the fame of her great-great-grandmother. When she married, Sybill found herself shocked that her husband expected her to change her last name to his. Why wouldn't he want to change his last name to hers? Finally, upon attaining a professorship at Hogwarts, she just knew the students and her colleagues would respect her. How wrong she had been.

Sybill finally found respect for herself, and from others, when she chose to do something for someone else.


	16. Newton

A self-made wizard. That described how Newt Scamander liked to think of himself. And for the most part, it was true.

After being expelled from Hogwarts, he found himself back home with his head hung in shame. His family happened to be an old one, but not a wealthy one. His mother's hippogriff breeding allowed them a modicum of comfort, but they weren't living in a manor on a palatial estate.   
  
Newt never fully discerned the extent of the favors his mother either called in as due to her, or created as due to others, in order to get him his first job.

Yet, somehow, there he stood, aged 17, no NEWT scores to show at all, and working at The Ministry of Magic. Not at his dream job, but at least in the department he wished to be in – the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He paid his dues for two years, doing the thankless job of relocating house elves in need.   
  
Then Newt moved to the Beast Division and finally began working with the creatures he had always dreamt of. For a pittance. He still lived at home, and at the age of 20 found it to be rather embarrassing.

Luckily, that was the year that his life really began.

By the time he was 30, Newt had seen 100 countries on five different continents. He emerged as a best-selling author. A chance encounter in New York City led to a beautiful new wife. All because he never stopped daring to say "what's next?"   
  
The school that kicked him out over an altercation involving a magical beast, now considered him the undisputed expert in the field – ironically using his book to teach students and bringing him back as an occasional guest lecturer.

The Ministry that had paid him so little that they nearly lost him, started promoting him as quickly as they could to keep him. When he still threatened to go, they started letting him draft laws.   
  
On his 80th birthday he threatened retirement, and when the Minister himself begged Newt to stay, promising to make it worth his time, Newt promised him two more years. And so it came about he received an Order of Merlin, Second Class. To end his official career with The Minister of Magic owing Newt a favor felt like quite the coup.   
  
The Chocolate Frog card Newt held in his hand detailed all of these achievements; what it didn't detail was how they made Newt feel.


	17. Severus

Severus Snape being bestowed a Chocolate Frog trading card due to his "heroic" double-agent spying struck Lucius Malfoy as nearly inconceivable. The Dark Lord chose Lucius as Severus' mentor within the Death Eater ranks while the younger wizard still attended Hogwarts. During that time, a bond formed between the two men, and when Draco came into the world, Lucius could only imagine one person worthy of the title of godfather to his heir.   
  
Time and again, Lucius used the Potion Master's teaching position at Hogwarts to his advantage while serving on the Board of Governors for the school. Severus passed him insider knowledge, making sure Lucius rarely found himself surprised. Severus expected, and received, quid pro quo. When unforeseen events did arise, Severus swore to him they were due to Severus' own lack of knowledge. Lucius now doubted the veracity of that.   
  
During his time at Hogwarts, Draco had been quick to assure his father that Severus treated Potter with the utmost disdain in every class. His son gleefully reported that although the Mudblood best friend of Potter attained top marks in their classes, Severus found ways to belittle her constantly. Draco also spoke of the favors and concessions his godfather granted to him.   
  
Lucius' trust in Severus led to Narcissa's own confidence in the wizard, culminating with their unbreakable vow while Lucius remained locked away in Azkaban. Lucius idly wondered how quickly Severus ran, black robes snapping behind him, to report that particular event to Dumbledore?   
  
The Dark Lord looked into Severus' mind and only saw loyalty. How did the man fool their master? How was Severus able to hide his continued love of Lily Potter and the desire for revenge for nearly 20 years?

Even on that fateful day, The Dark Lord hadn't killed Severus for his hitherto unknown disloyalty; his murder was seen merely as a ruthless means to an end.  
  
A rumor reached Lucius a couple of years ago that none other than Potter had been in possession of Severus' old potions textbook for a time and that it contained a plethora of revolutionary tweaks to current potions, original potions created by Severus, and spells invented by the wizard. Lucius judged the contents of those pages would have been worthy of recognition. But, The Idiotic Man Who Lived allowed the book to burn in the Room of Requirement along with that truly idiotic boy, Vincent Crabbe.  
  
Lucius took one last look at the trading card of the blood-traitor he once believed to be his closest associate, pointed his wand, and declared, " _Incendio_!"


	18. Ginevra

In the picture on her card, Ginny Potter's hair still shone red, although she no longer wore it down to middle of her back, as she once preferred in her youth. Ginny rather liked the ease of styling her shoulder-length locks. The decision to wear her favorite set of business robes for the photo, the robes she wore on nearly a weekly basis, struck her as a good one.   
  
After a letter arrived containing an offer to be on a Chocolate Frog trading card, Ginny hesitated to accept. A small piece of her still believed she lived in the shadow of her husband, even with her career success. What if her card invariably become about him? This insecurity was not something she felt comfortable sharing with anyone, mainly because she couldn't imagine finding a person who would understand. Hermione never appeared to consider herself eclipsed by Harry. Ron constantly thought himself to be someone's, everyone’s, inferior; she didn't need his type of commiseration. And Harry, well, he still shied away from the limelight whenever he could get away with it. He would feel guilty about her confession.   
  
Ginny cultivated a sense of fierceness in herself at such a young age, for a myriad of reasons, and now she no longer had permission to have weaknesses. With no way to explain turning down the opportunity, she agreed to be on the card. She could control how she looked, but she couldn't control what they wrote about her. She felt the tension she hadn't realized she held in her neck and shoulders drain from her body when there was no mention of Harry on the card, her only tie to him evident in the last name they shared.   
  
Instead, the card first focused on her young age when she signed with the Holyhead Harpies - a month before she turned 18. She only played Quidditch for four seasons before retiring to pursue a career in journalism. Her short biography noted her unbiased reporting. Although Ginny traveled the world as The Daily Prophet's senior Quidditch correspondent, she remained a mother first. The same year that finally saw all three of her children off at Hogwarts, with only her and Harry left at home, also saw a promotion for Ginny. She was now an editor at the newspaper.   
  
Ginny straightened her back, and with a sense of pride and an assured smile, she handed the card to Harry for him to read.


	19. Bathilda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for the inspiration, HeartOfAspen!

She hated the tight feeling, the inability to move the way she used to. Everything looked and felt different inside the body of a woman who was nearly 180 years old. Bathilda Bagshot disliked the smell of herself, the smell of her house. She flicked her tongue out, tasting her lips and the air around her mouth. Disgusting. It tasted like death and decay. The smell and sight of recent death wasn't so bad, but once it turned to decay, it repulsed her.

She looked at the table with its cold cup of tea, a pile of books, and a Chocolate Frog trading card off to the side. It felt strange to see the picture of herself on the card when she wasn't even really herself anymore. She attempted to move her hand and fingers in a way that would allow her to pick up the card for a closer look. The eyes in this ancient body barely worked. Alas, the fingers barely worked either. She knocked over the cup of tea, spilling it onto the floor, soaking a pile of papers.

The now wet pieces of parchment were full of notes written in the spidery hand of an old lady. Bathilda watched as they ran and blurred. She thought the papers may have been important, but since she couldn't read them, she was unsure. Her muddled mind knew she was famous, someone important, a witch of consequence. Something to do with all of the tea-stained, ruined papers at her feet and the books that weren't just piled on the table, but were present everywhere in the house.

Bathilda no longer comprehended her true significance in the world, no longer understood the concept that many of the books in this room were written by her, no longer even grasped the concept of history. Bathilda Bagshot couldn't appreciate being awarded a Chocolate Frog trading card in honor of the knowledge she imparted to nearly all wizards and witches worldwide regarding their origins and history.

Nigini hissed in irritation at the picture on the card, remembering her master's sneer before he killed the witch. "The next historians won't dare to leave me out."


	20. Miranda

Very few books are written in Mermish. Maybe it’s because very few mermaids see a need to be literate. Or maybe it is due to the unsuitability of paper in an underwater environment. The latter was a given, while the former stood as debatable since Miranda Goshawk was not sure if a statistical analysis had been undertaken regarding mermaids' ability to read. However, some must possess the capacity, since her books, Standard Book of Spells, Grades 1 -7, were all translated into the rare language.   
  
Staring down at her Chocolate Frog card, Miranda remembered a childhood where chocolate existed as a luxury not even afforded on her birthday. Being the youngest of nine daughters in an impoverished family left only room for the barest of needs being met. It wasn't until she first sat at a table in the Great Hall in Hogwarts that Miranda discovered the joy of desserts.   
  
Miranda hated when people pitied her for growing up poor. For her, shame did not come from a lack of money. Yes, she felt the standard humiliation for always wearing hand-me-down robes and using fifth-hand books. The real childhood strife which Miranda resented was being accidentally overlooked, blatantly ignored, or downright bullied by her older siblings. Her list of grievances also included not receiving the tools to succeed.   
  
She had used jinxes against her sisters, just as they did to her, both sides getting away with near impunity. The exception seemed to be when she turned her sisters Tangwystl and Diadema into toads. After a time, she had become creative enough in the ongoing battle to begin to make up her own spells. Some were right nasty, like the Bat-Bogey Hex.

This sibling rivalry became her learning ground in many ways. Miranda struggled with school, in large part because the textbooks seemed useless to her. When she did ask for help, she was often given incorrect answers.   
  
Miranda's willpower got her through Hogwarts and a subsequent Charms Mastery, after which she swore to help future generations never undergo the struggle she did. Hence, her series of books to teach charms that were so well-written, they were currently translated into 72 languages.

The extra editions containing faulty spells she devised to have specially printed and shipped to her family members left a lack of trust for some time. Possibly, if she had helped Romilda banish that tail sooner...

In the end, she couldn't be bothered to care. She had put so much of her energy into caring about young minds having the ability to grow and learn, with her book as a guide.   
  
Perhaps a bunch of chocolate would help repair some of those burned bridges with her sisters?


	21. Viktor

Viktor Krum had never enjoyed the limelight, so how he frequently ended up standing in it was beyond him. For most of his life, he thought that as long as he didn't have to give an interview or make a speech, he was fine with being in front of large groups of people.

He first agreed to be on a Chocolate Frog trading card in 2003. There were just one witch and two wizards present on the day they took his picture. Viktor spoke as little as possible, quietly moving and changing positions as directed by the photographer. Constantly being subjected to publicity shots left him knowing what to expect.

He still held the title of youngest wizard to play on a national quidditch team. At 18, he played in his first Quidditch World Cup finals. After the devastating defeats in the World Cups in 1994 and again in 2002, Viktor grew disillusioned with playing Quidditch. 

He announced his retirement, but felt at a loss, not knowing what to do with his life. The endorsements started drying up at the same time he realized there weren't many job offers rolling in to supplement them.

He was forced to start overcoming his taciturn nature and began to meet with prospective employers, making sure during interviews he slipped in, “When I was a Tri-Wizard Champion…”

In a cliché that should induce eye rolls, Viktor ended up Deputy Head of Bulgaria's Department of Magical Games and Sports. After four years, he received a promotion to Head. For seven years he held that position, prepared to be a footnote in history.

Life often holds surprises, such as the shock that Viktor could get used to public speaking, even excelling at it after enough practice

The biggest surprise came when it seemed Quidditch wasn't finished with Viktor Krum.

When the Bulgarian National Team manager offhandedly commented to Viktor, “I wager you always wondered what it would be like to go out on a win,” he suddenly found himself back on the team.

An 18-year-old seeker playing in a World Cup final had been unheard of 20 years ago, and now he was making history again as probably the oldest seeker, at the age of 38.

The stadium thrumming with shouts of, “Krum, Krum, Krum!” sounded exactly the same.

Emerging victorious with the snitch held tight in his hand felt like nothing else he’d ever experienced.

This all led to a new trading card with a new picture, and really, a new Viktor who didn't shy away from the spotlight. Viktor smirked at the picture of himself on the new card, watching as he caught a golden snitch over and over, finally completely at ease with himself, ready to be more than just a footnote.


	22. Bellatrix

"Grandmother? Why is there a lady who looks like you on my Chocolate Frog card?"

No one asked Narcissa's permission for Bella to appear on the card. Andromeda confirmed that apparently they didn't need to; she learned that the hard way with Nymphadora. Narcissa's hackles were raised – that a company gained profit off her deceased sister's mental illness should be deemed unconscionable.

Afternoon tea in the solarium always included extra treats on the days Scorpius visited her. He held up the picture so it faced Narcissa, "See grandmother, it says Bellatrix LeStrange. Do you know her?"

Being confronted with her sister's picture after all of these years was jarring. Malfoys kept their secrets well, even better than Blacks. The Malfoys all knew someday Scorpius would uncover certain unsavory aspects of his family's history. Until such a time, all of the adults in his life had a tacit agreement that if no one spoke of a thing, then it ceased to exist.

Just like that, someday came, and Bella arose back into existence.

"Scorpius, dear, that woman looks like me because she is… was… my eldest sister," the words came out slowly, "but she died many years ago, long before you were born."

Narcissa felt a flash of pride regarding her steady tone, although she could see the imperceptible way the tea vibrated inside its cup, due to the slight tremor in her hand. She set the cup down, choosing to cross hands in her lap, ever mindful of the etiquette drilled in during childhood.

"Grandmother, the card says your sister was a fanatic follower of Lord Voldemort, received a life sentence in Azkaban at the end of the first war for the torturing Aurors, escaped 15 years later, and became known as one of the most sadistic Death Eaters during the second war. I don't understand. Why would she do that?" His innocent eyes stared up at her.

"Scorpius, my sisters and I were raised very differently than you. Our parents believed the Black family to be the best in not only Great Britain, but all of Europe. We were royalty. At a very young age Bellatrix took this to heart. She became convinced of her position as the crown princess, in line for queen. My father encouraged her charade," Narcissa paused as she considered the many ways a parent could damn their child, "allowing her to make her own laws over Andromeda, and later me. When he signed her betrothal contract with Rodolphus LeStrange, Bellatrix saw it as proof of her fairytale ending."

Narcissa reached across the table to pluck the card from Scorpius' fingers.

The glint of madness shone in Bella's eyes; the fact that the picture used came from her sister's time in prison disgusted Narcissa. To call her sister mentally unstable seemed an understatement, as it implied the witch was tipping, but had yet to fall off the cliff. Bellatrix LeStrange had taken a running start and performed a swan dive off the cliffs of insanity.

"Bellatrix was not the fairytale princess who lived happily ever after. She turned out to be the evil queen who stole other's happily ever after. She performed such foul deeds because she believed it was her right."

"I'm sorry Grandmother,” Scorpius whispered in her ear as he gave Narcissa a hug.


	23. Alastor

Arthur Weasley remembered what Alastor Moody looked like when he was still a whole man. Back before the first war stole an eye, a leg, and part of his nose. Then the second war came and stole his life.

The picture on the Chocolate Frog card came from a time between those two wars, so even now young wizards and witches who collected the cards would only know the visage of the damaged man, would always see him as "Mad-Eye".

Arthur had looked up to the other wizard when they were young. Moody, or Al, as he preferred to be called back at Hogwarts, was two years ahead of Arthur in Gryffindor house. Both of Al’s parents were Aurors, three of his grandparents were Aurors, and some of his great-parents were too. Al effortlessly gave off a powerful, commanding presence. He was a true lion, stalking their common room.

Al excelled in classes; it seemed he didn't even have to try in order to get O's on all of the O.W.L.'s he chose to take. Witches flocked to the intelligent, muscled wizard with the shining blonde hair.

The slightly dangerous aura he gave off didn't hurt.

Arthur couldn't believe the chocolate manufacturers waited until after Moody died to give him a card. Arthur considered it a travesty. He should have received one after the first war. Without him on the side of the light, there would have undoubtedly been more tragedies. He revolutionized the Auror department in his time there. He went into retirement a legend.

Arthur didn't want to belittle Moody's important role in the second war, but dammit, if this wasn't something that chafed him. Arthur should be looking at an updated card that included new heroics in the effort to keep Harry Potter alive, not a card that Moody would never know existed.

Arthur's sour mood was broken by the humorous thought of Moody's possible reaction to his box full of complimentary cards arriving in the post. The man would probably hex the delivery owl, blow up the box, give a nonchalant shrug while stating, "Constant vigilance," as the ashes rained down on him.


	24. Luna

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips while she stared at her Chocolate Frog trading card. Luna Lovegood's picture just made her feel joyous. She hoped other people enjoyed it as much as she did.

Luna took the opportunity to wear her wedding dress again for the photo. The bottom-most layer was nude silk, it blended in perfectly with her skin tone. Layer upon layer of tulle in every shade of the spectrum was stacked upon it. There were charms placed upon the dress so when Luna spun in a circle, the layers alternated rapidly in such a way that she created a rainbow aura around her. Luna filled her hair with golden glitter to create a halo around her head while she twirled.

Luna felt the pull to make friends with Harry Potter near the end of third year. She already knew Ginny; she started seeking out Hermione in the library. By the time she officially met Harry on the Hogwarts Express ride to start her fourth year, she had laid the foundation in order to be accepted. Luna hummed with satisfaction while reading about her varied accomplishments beginning that same year.

As a member of Dumbledore's Army, she learned how to be a warrior, important to her confidence in battle. She also learned how to lead people, so after she returned for her sixth year of school, she helped head up the resistance inside Hogwarts. And finally, she learned how to cast her Patronus – a hare – from Harry, which continued to be important in the second chapter of her life.

Luna travelled the world in her career as a Magizoologist, sometimes finding herself alone in situations where others might despair, in search of rare creatures and plants. Upon feeling herself starting to falter, the little rabbit gamboling about lifted her spirits. It had the added bonus of attracting Moon Frogs.

And apparently husbands, too. Luna was 32 when she met Rolf Scamander on a hunt for Aquavirius Maggots. She had decided to cast the Patronus charm while sitting next to her campfire, watching it hop away into the night. A few minutes later, a wizard walked out from the shrubbery into which the hare had disappeared.

The card did not mention The Quibbler, but really, that accomplishment belonged to her father. Luna resolved to take her complimentary box full of cards to her dad's house and have him slip them into the middle of the next edition of his magazine as a gift to his loyal readers.


	25. Albus

It was the greatest achievement of his life. And no, that should not be taken as a facetious statement.

A wizard can have grandiose ideas of self-importance. Fickle political alliances may lead to a wizard getting voted into influential positions. Scheming, bullying, and even blackmailing, all with a modicum of patience, will allow you to achieve amazing feats.

Yet, in the end, you can't seem to fool the Chocolate Frog manufacturers. They have the rare ability to correctly assess public opinion. Meeting their exacting standards tickled Albus Dumbledore.

He had donned his favorite sparkly robes for the occasion. Albus' best wizarding hat perched upon his head. His beard received extra attention that morning. Albus stared in the mirror, practicing that signature eye twinkle before apparating to the photography studio. The end result was exactly what he hoped for.

Albus found it odd that a love of chamber music and ten-pin bowling were note-worthy enough to make it on the card. He knew of other achievements they could have highlighted. Those two toss-away facts about him had led to some very odd conversations.

Explaining the exact nature of chamber music to an 11-year-old become old after a few hundred attempts.

A week rarely passed without someone sending him an owl asking if he cared to join their bowling league.

He shuddered, remembering the extremely awkward seduction attempt from a friend of Augusta Longbottom's over afternoon tea at Longbottom Manor which included a bowling pin moving in time to a harp.

Coincidence was something only fools believed in. Albus Dumbledore claimed to be many things, but a fool didn't make the list. The Chocolate Frog trading card he currently contemplated saved the Sorcerer's Stone from falling into Voldemort's hands. And so, even if he hadn't liked the card for the fact he felt it represented the faith the wizarding world held for him, he would have to be grateful that the alchemy experiments performed with Nicholas Flamel received space next to his hobbies.

Today seemed like a fine day to change the password on the office from "Sugar Quill" to "Chocolate Frog".


	26. Harry

There came a point in time when Harry Potter made a conscious decision to ignore everything written about him. It occurred right about the time his picture appeared on a 'Wanted' poster, with the words "Public Enemy Number One" printed below.

The juxtaposition of that poster with the Chocolate Frog card struck him and he choked on his laughter.   
  
Harry had been approached at the same time as Hermione and Ron regarding the trading cards. He watched each of their reactions and wondered why they seemed to feel so strongly and why he felt nothing. Well, ‘nothing’ may be too strong a word.

Ambivalence would better describe his emotions.   
  
Harry still wore his hair long enough to allow the fringe to cover his scar, although he rarely styled it with the intention to do so. People recognized him either way.

He made the decision to wear his Auror robes for the photo shoot, believing his rise to the head of the department one of the few achievements in his life that belonged to him alone, not attained through circumstance, luck, or the help of others, but simply by his own hard work.

The photographer and her assistants had acted with the same mixture of reverence, awkwardness, and professionalism Harry knew to expect from strangers. The one who adjusted his hairstyle to better show the lightning bolt scar avoided eye contact and turned beet red upon touching him.   
  
After reading Harry’s card, Hermione informed him, “The most recent edition of  _ Hogwarts, A History _ gives a better summary of our exploits at school.”

Ginny declared, “The few sentences on the card are loads better than the tripe still regularly printed in The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly.”

Ron shrugged with the apology of, “Sorry mate, the only things I read on a regular basis are the Quidditch scores.”   
  
Harry looked at the box full of cards sitting on the kitchen table. What was he supposed to do with them? He handed one to Ron. “For your collection.”

Harry sighed, “Am I really expected to autograph a bunch to have ready in my pocket? I’ll be damned before I do that.”

He moved the box to the counter, next to the stack of mail, and headed towards the back door.  “Want to throw a quaffle around for a bit?” he asked Ron.   
  
After a couple of days, Ginny moved the box to Harry's desk in the study.

At some point in time, Harry was trying to tidy up his desk and shoved the dusty box into a drawer.

A few years later Ginny bought Harry a new desk and moved the old one upstairs to James' room for school use.

The still full box of cards found a home in a trunk in the attic.


	27. Voldemort

Hermione didn't bother to feign surprise at the choice to make a card for him. After all, Herpo the Foul received one, and that evil cunt not only created the first Basilisk, but also invented Horcruxes. Babayaga, a hag known for eating children for breakfast, was featured on a card too.

Neville stared at the picture of the snake-like man, feeling pride for his part in the loathsome bastard's destruction.

Minerva recalled the abject horror she felt at not being able to protect so many children from the monster depicted on the card.

Donaghan looked at Voldemort's picture with a shudder and thought that maybe the body hair evident in his own photo wasn't so bad after all.

Ron couldn't help the image that popped into his head of Hagrid carrying Harry's dead body to the castle as Voldemort glowed with triumph, and he felt a shadow of the same despair which had consumed him in that moment.

Kingsley remembered the steady thumps of a thestral's wings as Hermione clung tight to him, the fear evident in her heart pounding against his back, as Voldemort flew directly at them only to turn away at the last moment as he realized she wasn't the real Harry.

Draco swore that never again would a Malfoy find themselves so powerless while looking for power in the wrong place, while he simultaneously contemplated how to go about explaining this to his son.

Ginny wondered who was really in charge of the Chocolate Frog manufacturing company, and were they out of their bloody minds for putting fucking You-Know-Who on a trading card?

Viktor let out a string of curse words in Bulgarian upon seeing the card. Luckily, it occurred while he stood in the Ugandan Ministry for Magic and no one knew what he said, although the anger evident in his tone and body language was enough to frighten a few passers-by.

Narcissa flashed back to the two years this abomination called himself her "houseguest" and all of the horrors she had been made to witness, and often partake in.

Harry looked at Tom Riddle's Chocolate Frog trading card and felt nothing but ambivalence.


End file.
